For some reason, humans have a desire to go fast. And when one human goes fast, another one wants to go faster.
For some reason, humans have a desire to go fast. And when one human goes fast, another one wants to go faster, and thus a never ending cycle begins.
From land to air to water, here are 17 photos of total maniacs trying to be the fastest ever in their respective lunacy.
1
In 1935, Malcolm Campbell became the first man to break the 300 mph mark in his custom car, “Bluebird.” It was the ninth time he’d broken his own record.
2
Igor Sikorsky set a world speed record of 111 km per hour on his C-6 plane in Kiev, Dec. 29, 1911.
3
Donald Campbell's final moments at around 300mph in "Bluebird." He'd be killed seconds later after his craft slammed back into Coniston Water on January 4th, 1967.
4
The Fiat S76 was built in 1910, and set an unofficial record of 132 mph. The car was nicknamed "The Beast of Turin," and only two examples were ever built.
5
Craig Breedlove and "Spirit of America – Sonic 1" after new land speed record, Utah, 1965. He made passes at 555 mph, and later over 600 mph. Breedlove was the first man over 500 mph, and set five land speed records.
6
Roland “Rollie” Free breaking the American motorcycle land speed record, 1948. He went 150.313 mph, and did so in a speedo and swim cap for aerodynamics. Roland Free lived to be 83 years old.
7
Hydroplane racer Dean Chenoweth crashes the Miss Budweiser hydroplane after a speed record attempt in which he reached over 200 mph, Lake Washington, Seattle, 1979. He survived this incident, but later died in a crash in 1982.
8
The M-497 ‘Black Beetle’ jet-powered train set the still-standing US rail speed record in 1966 of 183.85 mph.
9
The Schienenzeppelin, or Rail Zeppelin, was a propeller powered rail car that set the land speed record for a petrol powered rail vehicle in Germany in 1931, at 143 mph.
10
Ken Warby in his home built 'Spirit of Australia' boat, just prior to breaking the water speed record by reaching 317.6 mph. The record still stands to today.
11
Chuck Yeager standing in front of the Bell X-1 “Glamorous Glennis.” On October 14th, 1947, Yeager became the first pilot in history to exceed the speed of sound in level flight while piloting the X-1.
13
On October 3rd, 1967, William J. "Pete" Knight flew the X-15A-2 at Mach 6.7, or 4,520 mph. It is the fastest speed ever achieved in Earth’s atmosphere by a manned vehicle.
14
Sir Malcolm Campbell and the Campbell-Railton-Rolls Royce Blue Bird in 1933. This model hit 272 mph at Daytona.
15
Race driver Gary Gabelich posing with his rocket-powered land speed record vehicle The Blue Flame. It set a new FIA land speed record of 622 MPH at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1970.
16
1907 World Land Speed Record, Glenn Curtiss, 13 6mph.
17
The current land speed record is 763.035 miles per hour, set by Andy Green in the jet-powered car ThrustSSC on October 15th, 1997. It is the first and only time a car has broken the sound barrier.
